Portsmouth Sinfonia : "Also sprach Zarathustra"

[ReviloliverLewis]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

[tsirosgoddammit]

the sound of one million instruments having their souls claimed by satan

[Redflowers9]

0:00 - 1:32  best part

[jules1278]

Oh My!

[emilygclarinet]

I want this recording to be played during epic moments in my life.

[malcolmdrums]

I still have the vinyl...so good.

[Maryloohoo2]

Great Elephant section!

[napolian555]

Rofl , that was terrible

[Kirke182]

I believe Eno's involvement was to see how often the ensemble could come together randomly and actually perform to perfection for even the briefest periods. He stated later in an interview that the experiment was a failure.

[samnexus]

best part to 1:00

[TheSunnRose]

i can't stop laughing!!

[AngelYoshi87]

*applauds*  Wonderful! Encore!!! :)

[asperzaga]

This is like Gagaku or 'Japanese traditional brass music'!!

[speedfreek5h3n]

Composer Michael Nyman joined this orchestra in 1970, halfway through a concert. He asked the conductor if they had a spare instrument during the interval, so they gave him a cello and a copy of Hall Of The Mountain King and he played the second half...

That's Rock & Roll!... sort of...

[custardaghost]

@speedfreek5h3n

Brian Eno was involved somehow.

All they needed was Werner Herzog to film rehearsals and auditions to make it perfect

[OogaB0oga]

If I had the album, I'd blast this at full volume 3 times a day/night. Then, when having some over-the-fence smalltalk with my neighbours, I'd let them know that I love listening to classical music and ask them if they do, too.

[ConstantinDorsch]

Das wäre das optimale Begleitorchester für Florence Foster Jenkins gewesen...

[Dionysius8421]

This is actually horrifying.

[browncoat697]

This is so fun to show to my fellow musicians. The instant cringing is pure entertainment.

[AshleyMarkPomeroy]

I embrace this new world.

[MinamuTV]

Even for a band that's supposed to sound bad, this is horrible.

[OchAyetheGNU]

Fantastic - I love it

[damocles943]

FYI people: it's not supposed to be good, the requirement for joining the orchestra was that you aren't able to play your instrument.

[MinamuTV]

What happens when you buy a pet elephant that has a nasal infection and blows their nose?

You listen to this all day.

[MinamuTV]

Wow, this is horrible. Seriously? They're getting notes flat, changing melodies. They're not even trying. They sound like elephants with nasal infections.

[paulblasi4]

@MinamuTV Face palm.

[BLCaptainCrazy]

@MinamuTV oh my lord, *really*

you missed the point so bad jesus

[Takeshi357]

Thus Failed Zarathustra

[MrAlexGTV]

@Takeshi357 ahahahaha!!

[paperbacknovel]

The gal violinist in the lower left corner is cute; I keep trying to zoom in on the picture. But I forgot they didn't have context sensitive pictures in the 70's.

[CityGov]

Genuinely Lol!

I have tears in my eyes. Whether that was ironic or not it was top drawer on both counts.

[JimmyMcCullough]

why is this not out on cd yet????? i've been waiting for years!

[CanadianOne1]

Also Derp Zarathrustra

[gonzata1996]

God! That fucking sucked!!

[fuckgoblin]

they're not even trying.

[SeamusRaucousthroat]

Almost exceeds, in sheer wretchedness, the politics of Nietzsche and Strauss. What an achievement.

Just one regret - I would love to have heard them interpret the organ part.

[darthvader8119]

This is MUSIC by true musicians!!!!! respect!

[Petricek85]

Fucking brilliant :)

[stevefellows7]

rediscovered Portsmouth Sinfonia after a humorless 40 years, please do a comeback tour of Portsmouth, haven't stopped smiling for the last 2 days, need a fix every few minutes so seeing you live in my new home town would render me with a permanent grin.

[shetechandcompany]

WOW ! This is classic! Up there with Florence Foster Jenkins in true hilarity! One wonders if they were serious, or if this was tongue in cheek. Heaven help them if they were serious, the poor dears...

[tubababe]

@shetechandcompany Well, since the audition requirement was that you not know a lick of music or, if a musician, that you not know the instrument you were going to play, I'm going to go with Not Serious.

[0ldb1ll]

Truly a Spaced Odyssey

[adfontesaquarum]

Isn't Schönberg ?



[Sunflowers159]

Apparently the conductor had never done any conducting before. He'd just seen photos of conductors conducting!  I'm with 300Gwen in wanting them to do a comeback show. There was some plan to do one, but nothing's come of it. so far.

[300Gwen]

Wow this is just too good. I would LOVE to see these guys do a comeback show! Anyone else with me??

[conansdog]

@300Gwen Yes, yes, yes. I would definitely go to a comeback show.

[eaglerock999]

EPIC.

[claire30061]

Love this so much and I still laugh everytime I hear it - who needs prozac when you have this :)

[dondealga]

Indeed...good old beeb

[TheWatcherxx99]

Like if Radio 4 brought you here :)

[phuturephunk]

Oh my dear lord! That was magic!

[MeteoriteImpact]

ヽ"(●´∇`●)ﾉa-ha-ha

[kenzjpn]

（＾◇＾）これはいい（＾◇＾）

[dancechick007]

and to think Brian Eno was a part of this

[Optimalillusion]

Cool and a half! Haven't heard this since the Doctor Demento Show.

[ady24]

i'm sure these were created by les dawson.....he would be proud.

[freddydiamant]

Thus stuttered Zarathustra!!!!

[zetec000]

Nobody can play the same again

[mtdnspirit]

I guess they invented this in Guantanamo to make music lovers talk :p

[dementedpianist]

timpani isn't too bad

[tomFairhurst]

Wonderful lyrical playing

[glowworm2]

I love that it sounds like a bunch of elephants! This really is funny!

[DaVirus810]

its in tune...for 10 seconds...

[wilsonkm]

This is what killed Osama bin Laden.

[Muttboom27]

Having been a listener of Eno's work for decades I believe it's time to revive the Portsmouth Sinfonia. In it's new incarnation celebraties could be invited to play as members and charity concerts and recordings could be generated. Imagine George Clooney on clarinet, Kid Rock on trombone, Lang Lang on viola etc. etc. all for charity.

[televisiekijken1]

I am going to start a new tradition with my orchestra!

[LizzybotXD]

I thought this was an elementary school band the first time I heard this. Then I realized, my elemetary school band plays better than this.

[RaIphLauren]

on my ipod

[kelhard]

I Love this. This is absolute gold!!

[timmytuba]

All of the Music Education majors at our university have to play each instrument for a month or so, and they put together an ensemble like this. They call it the Wednesday Morning Bad Band.

[GigawingsVideo]

Oh God I still remember listening to this for the first time, I can't sit straight due to laughing like crazy and out of breath, I want to get their CD and play them during a meeting.

[SimplyReg]

Oh, Christ - I remember this from the Seventies - it used to have my Dad in tears and it's doing the same to me and my kid now! Legendary.

[bigyin54]

Brilliant. The Sinfonia had an unusual entrance requirement, in that players had to either be non-musicians, or if a musician, play an instrument that was entirely new to them. The orchestra was basically a tongue-in-cheek performance art ensemble but became a cultural phenomenon. They last performed publicly in 1979.]

[Kurnurs]

@bigyin54 Nice copy pasting without citation dude! You're awesome.

[cooljack1995]

i've never heard anything like it in my life....

[noahlankford1]

To all the people saying they are terrible, they have a tradition where they switch instruments so that everyone is playing something other than what they are used to, thats why its so bad.

[NextianGeometry]

I can honestly say that this is truly extraordinary.

[KurtzCuntDestroyer]

Utterly awful, dare not to call yourself a "sinfonia" ever again.

[Mayokitty7]

Poor Zarathustra. He can barely utter a word. Must have emphysema or something...

[86kinky86]

this is funny as hell, pure comedy gold in my opinion

[drbeat71]

Ah, the Portsmouth Sinfonia's greatest triumph. Or failure. Or ... something.

[chibby93]

parece una banda de cornetas y tambores en semana santa xD

[rhazer]

I'm shocked that people seem to like this so much more than the Worst French Horn Player.

[Deathyman]

INTONATION!!!!!!! IS PERFECT!!!!!

[blackgosu]

.....

[Navarone222]

G mayor

[dag451]

Yes! I feel alive again!

[mysock351W]

Its sooo bad, you can even hear them snickering in the background during the intro. I love it.

[vastariner]

10 people are from the Southampton Sinfonia.

[julesmail67]

Zarathustra should have shuddup! Ne'er mind Spake?! LOL!

[GodfatherTheGreek]

perfect musicians... congratulations!!! hahahaha!!!! are they going to be on this new years music symfony?

[hollowpoint211]

this music would be great for the discovery of ugly manicus aka modern day retard

[janrbnl]

OMG!! This sounds terrible, but on the other hand it's so funny, I can't stop laughing :)

[Maryloohoo2]

Will someone please put the Elephants out of their misery!!!

[Linkmaster4611]

Thus stuttered Zarathustra

[mradamandmrjim]

@Linkmaster4611 Very good...................'thus stuttered zarathustra' ha ha

[centzon]

My local radio station played this on their morning show, and I nearly drove off the highway from laughing so hard. Gotta say, though, I really do dig the concept. :P

[pablooctavio]

Also sprach Zarathustra drunk!

[Xezlec]

I don't get it. The "art" is that they're just bad? If that's art then isn't every middle-school band rehearsal art too? I hate art.

[dragonslayah]

@Xezlec the "art" is the humourous outcome they obviously sought.

[CaptainBrawnson]

@Xezlec The Orchestra consists of people who have nevered played an instrument, or are playing one new to them :P

[waterdragon208]

@Xezlec Think about it. Even though it sounds displeasing, you probably listened to it more than one time. Thus meaning some part of you found it artistic in a sense. Its probably one of the most pleasing dis-pleasurable sounds ever to exist.

[Xezlec]

@waterdragon208 That sounds like gibberish to me. I don't see how something can be both pleasing and displeasing at the same time. I don't think I listened to it more than once. If I did, it would only have been because I was trying to figure out what people like about it.

[ILIKECEREALX]

This is why I love TVTropes: It introduces you to things like this.

[johntobz]

2001 Space Travesty.... Cant stop laughing! hahahaha

[pedanticmofo]

The screeching at the end reminded me of the star baby stuff at the end of 2001. Simply genius.

[challywag]

Sounds like a rusty seized robot trying to breakdance.

[adash13x]

sounds like theres a elephant dying in the background! XD

[minasgekos]

almost sounds like some freejazz impro

[shinmagniok]

je suis fan ^^

[NackWeasel]

the portsmouth sinfonia is a truly bizarre concept.

[Kladyos]

My 5th grade band sounded better than this... I have recordings...

Maybe you have to be on certain substances to think this is worth anything.

[FearlessSpinner]

@Kladyos FAIL!...seriously!

[Kladyos]

@FearlessSpinner Care to explain where I failed? It is very easy to just blurt something out without any context or evidence to back it up.

[FearlessSpinner]

@Kladyos Well in case you didnt know: This piece was played by people who never played an instrument before(or never played the instrument they were given) and were given only little introduction before playing. Bragging that your band can do better is just outright wrong!

In case you dont believe me,look up wiki and then feel bad!

[Kladyos]

@FearlessSpinner Oh. I was led by a friend to believe that this was some kinda post-modern dis-chord orchestra, some experimental music project. So in that light you are correct, I apologize.

Still, I never said my 5th grade band was actually good just better than this. ;) We flat out stunk. I hope you have a great day!

[FearlessSpinner]

@Kladyos No problem i was thinking this too before i read about it lol

[woutertron]

@Kladyos It was an experimental music project. The experiment was to comprise an orchestra entirely of non-musicians (or musicians on an instrument unfamiliar to them).

[Cranequill]

.... As a musician, I really am not sure what to say.

As a human being.... I am amused.

[Flipperoogie]

Hard to believe but our middle school band was worse. Our trumpet section would have a contest to see who could make the highest, worst sounding screeches during their preformances

[crexcrex71]

I'm sure that the conductor's baton is out of tune.

[kerflop]

just go to any elementary school band to hear this.

[CinemaCinder]

You only live twice, or is that once? I actually prefer this version to all the perfect orchestral versions (I'm still weighing if it's better than Deodato's). Brian Eno's involvement with Portsmouth certainly helped to ensure its release, and he deserves a Nobel--He has nothing to be ashamed of, and as a fuddyduddy who respects Classical music but can't really get into any of it, I must admit that this is a real toetapper that makes me grin without regret or remorse.

[gotank]

Is it just me or did they improve since their performance in watch?v=sOUsbtUrXHk?

[sapitron]

it's obviously a progressive jazz version

[AllaboutAG]

LOL! it's SO bad that it's good!!! AHHH! LOVE IT! and at like 0:17 if you listen slowly, it's the mario song!!! hehe! were's the itunes download? xD

[AllaboutAG]

@AllaboutAG nv! it's 1:17

[ronisgod23]

THIS IS BRILLIANT!

[powerphot]

Oh my God!

[dschuster1618]

Ooh, is this Justin Bieber's new single?! It sounds way better than the crap he's been singing before.

[jin12345678]

very intriguing. despite the playing you can hear that they are trying to get across something of the piece.

[JBoston34]

Absolutely Brilliant!!!!

[broadwayyyxbabe]

HYSTERICAL.

[IAMLFO]

Have you heard of the Portsmouth Sinfonia? A valid musical experiment of an orchestra comprised of either non-musicians or experienced musicians that play on instruments completely unfamiliar to them. The results? HILARIOUS! Check out their Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy too. You can thank me later...

[MaxSutter94]

the best everxxD hahahaha



[lincsposter]

Many years ago, I played this in a school assembly. I had told all the staff to keep straight faces. The kids almost burst with laughter - seeing the staff so serious! The aim of the Assembly? Trying! If you don't try you will never succeed! I think the Portsmouth Sinfonia should enter BGT! It takes real talent to play this badly, but still make great music!

[ottlakerambler]

1:02 to the end reminds me of Sun Ra's Arkestra. Love it.

[funwatcher]

This is so emotional and dramatic i nearly passed out at the end. beautiful...

[accountmaniac]

They sound drunk! xDD

[accountmaniac]

EPIC FAIL

[kevc21]

@accountmaniac no man, you're way too nice here. Try COLLASSO FAIL

[loudless]

Also sprach Zarathustra (Vuvuzela Remix)

[facePuncher5]

@loudless Also Sprach Zarathustra 2: Nietzsche Gets His Groove Back (or, in this case, loses it)

[vaclavkohout]

awesome elephant remix :)

[thomaskantor]

glorious rendition!

[tommysonar]

Brian Eno was brierfly a member of the Portsmouth Sinonia, he played clarinet as I remember.

[ColbertandStewartpwn]

Can't... Stop.... Laughing............

[gl0bal74]

hahaha these guys suck too :)

[stuttyjim]

brilliant..cant stop laughing! Cheers for posting this

[magusmagic5]

Unbelievable how 9 very misguided voters thumbed this down

[SjaakieBonestaakie]

My new ringtone! :)

[muesk3]

Hahaha! At one point I thought my cellphone was vibrating! xD

[Kirke182]

The person seated second from the right holding the clarinet in the second row from the back is Eno.

[AnAmericanComposer]

exccelent timpanist lol

[justnynke88]

whahaaaa i want this as a ringtone

[xxXDamnationXxx]

@justnynke88 Haha, I can imagine sitting in a train while the ringtone plays :P

[scottdavene]

Brilliant! But what happened to the drummer at the end?

[mcylinder]

Brian Eno was playing clarinet. I have this LP and noticed the listing. If you look closely at the picture you'll recognize him. A far cry from creating the Microsoft Windows chime.

[lanebreakerRBH]

hahahaha!! brilliant XD

[LeniInChains]

This rocks!

[ohlemeyerfamily]

Don't know if I like the clothes or the playing better......

[ohlemeyerfamily]

Don't know if I like the clothes or the playing better......

[flabberlot]

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS!

[dbfisher]

Someone played this New Year's Eve 2000 while I was driving and I almost went off the road from laughing.

[ahpollyolly]

Their finest moment.....just love it.!!!

Very 'avant garde' (avant garde a f**king idea how it's meant to sound ...!!).

[shaydee313]

wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooooooooooooooooo!

[josesblima]

this must be shonberg...

[alanrich1956]

Its all about the enjoyment of playing live music. Superb

[HomeGrownStories]

It is all about the fun times :) Good work people!!!!

[stratboy8]

A mate of mine is an absolutely terrible Elvis impersonator...I'm going to use this as his intro music!

[Upum12]

I can't believe how bad they are. My grandma's farts sound prettier than this.

[Churroization]

Crap, rated it 1 star! D:

[d34thn0te]

@Churroization: It's SUPPOSED to be crap, that's the whole point of Portsmouth Sinfonia. Wikipedia it. C: